1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that is capable of cutting out a specific area in an image, a control method therefor, and a storage medium storing control program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, small sized electronic equipment, such as a digital still camera, is also equipped with a face detecting function, which is used to detect a face for focusing at the time of taking an image. When a person is recognized and a face is detected, authentication information (a name etc.) can be given to an image. In such a case, the name can be superimposed on the image using the authentication information when the image is displayed, and the image can be searched with the person's name.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-65635 (JP 2009-65635A) discloses a technique of cutting an image to which subject location information is attached, editing the image, performing a face detection process to the cut-out image, and automatically giving classification information based on the detected face information.
However, when the authentication information is deleted whenever the image is edited by trimming regardless of a trimming area, the name will not be displayed and the image concerned is excluded from retrieval objects.
Although the device disclosed in JP 2009-65635A can perform the face detection process again after the trimming, a device that cannot perform the face detection process cannot detect again.
Further, when the image is trimmed so as to lack a part of the face, the face detection process of the device may not be able to detect the face even if it is visible as a face for human eyes. Such a case is inconvenient because the authentication information originally given becomes lost after the trimming.